Lakers coach responds to Kerr comments on flops; Curry named to All-NBA second team
NBA Playoffs: Darvin Ham stays above the fray; Steph Curry named second-team All-NBA
SAN FRANCISCO – One day after Warriors coach Steve Kerr bemoaned what he felt were glaringly obvious flops by Los Angeles Lakers players trying to draw charges, his counterpart, Darvin Ham, claimed the high road, saying he didn’t want to get into a back-and-forth regarding any contentious calls by NBA officials.
Kerr said Tuesday there “was definitely some gamesmanship” by the Lakers during Monday’s Game 4, particularly late in the fourth quarter when Draymond Green was called for a foul as he attempted to set a screen on guard Lonnie Walker IV, who tumbled to the floor upon contact.
Kerr said Tuesday that it was “a blatant flop. (Walker) just takes a dive and the ref bought it.”
Asked about Kerr’s comment prior to Game 5 on Wednesday at Chase Center, Ham stayed above the fray.
“I just control what I can control. That’s coaching my team,” Ham said. “I don’t go down the rabbit hole, pointing fingers, blaming the official. I never did when I was an assistant coach and I don’t want to start now. Our job is to try to put together the best plan to be successful.”
The foul disparity had been clear through the first four games of the series, as the Warriors had been whistled for 28 more fouls than the Lakers (91-63). The Lakers have also shot 52 more free throws than the Warriors (103-51).
All of that had resulted in 47 additional points for Los Angeles through four games, as the Lakers led the Western Conference semifinal series three games to one before Wednesday.
On Monday, the Lakers went 20-for-20 from the free throw line en route to a 104-101 win at Crypto.com Arena.
“I give them credit,” Kerr said Tuesday. ‘If you can sell a call in this league, then do it. You do whatever it takes to win.”
CURRY HONORED AGAIN: Steph Curry was selected to the All-NBA team for the ninth time in his career, with the league announcing Wednesday that the two-time MVP had been named to the second team.
It’s the fourth time – and the second straight year — that Curry has been named second-team all-league. Now in his 14th season, Curry has also been named to the first team four times and the third team once.
Curry averaged 29.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 56 games this season. Curry missed 11 games from mid-December to early January with a subluxation of his left shoulder. Curry also had to sit 11 games from early February to early March with partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane, and a contusion on his left lower leg. Curry was the only Warriors player named all-league.
Also voted to the second team were Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell.
Voted to the first team were Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, the 76ers’ Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. On the third team were Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Lakers’ LeBron James, Portland’s Damian Lillard, New York’s Julius Randle. For Lillard, an Oakland native, it was his seventh all-NBA selection.
Staff writer Madeline Kenney contributed to this story.